Many transport and storage containers are known. Certain containers are used to transport and store goods such as bread or buns and other foods. Containers are typically injection molded plastic and rectangular in shape.
Containers for transportation and storage of bread products commonly have a base with a protruding base edge, a pair of opposing long sidewalls, and a pair of opposing short sidewalls. The sidewalls protrude in the opposite direction of the base edge. The opposing long sidewalls generally do not protrude as far from the base as the short sidewalls and may have a merchandiser or open section for viewing the contents held therein. The containers are stackable such that the base edge of one container is typically received by a complimentary configuration on the opposing short sidewalls of a second container. The base of the container can have a plurality of apertures for material and weight reduction. Similarly, each short sidewall commonly has a plurality of apertures and a handle in the centre for gripping the container.
When stacking, the container is gripped by placing one hand on each handle. The container is centred above a second container and placed directly down such that the base edge of the first container is received by the footprint of the second container. Similarly, when removing one container from a stack, the container is gripped by placing one hand on each handle. The container is then lifted away from and in a direction normal to the complimentary container. Because of the configuration of the container, stacking and destacking can be awkward and ergonomically unsafe as the person lifting the container can experience lower back strain. The operator carries the load with extended arms to place the container into a stack or when removing from a stack. The container is even more awkward to destack when full. If the operator removes more than one container when destacking, the potential for back strain is further increased.
When moving many containers at one time, a two wheeled cart is typically used. In order to slide the blade edge of the cart under the container it is generally preferred to tilt the stack of containers so that the blade will run under the stack. A stack of containers can be difficult to tilt forward while manoeuvring a two wheeled cart into place. It can be even more difficult to tilt the stack of containers due to lack of space in a packed truck. The cart also applies pressure to the base of the bottom container of the stack. This causes flexing of the base of the container thus crushing the contents of the bottom container. Overall, using a two wheeled cart to lift a stack of containers can be awkward and/or can damage the container.